Angel
by Pheyth
Summary: What happens when Caroline is human and caught in a game of cat and mouse between the vampires she left mystic falls for? Never run from fate that was determined for you.
1. or The Bet

**Hey guys, thanks for clicking on this story! I would also like to thank ****rjt040190**, **Princess Cruella, JYLian, and Degrassilovelive101, who commented at the end of "Everthine, Evermine", you guys helped motivate me for this one. Ok, I'll stop bothering you now so you can start reading this which I couldn't have been inspired by without L. J. Smith (thank God for creative writers...and TV). Ok, I'm done! Now read!...and then review. . . please. After you read.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Or

The Bet

My fingers grew used to twitching my wristwatch instead of twiddling with my phone. This was the second time I lost my phone in four weeks. It had to be somewhere at my apartment, underneath my bed or something.

In the meantime, instead of checking for text messages telling me that he was here like I normally would, I was finding myself glancing at the two hands that told me I was sitting at Starbucks just wasting my time. He was fifteen minutes late.

"They're not coming," a deep voice said beside me.

"What?" I asked looking up. I hope he didn't notice the drool at the corner of my mouth from his attractive figure. I always had a thing for long legs and broad shoulders. No wonder Bonnie and Elena claimed Universities had the hottest guys.

They say college years are better than high school (what a laugh )and that you meet the man of your dreams at the University you get accepted into (highly doubtful in my case).

When I left Mystic Falls I expected to be swooned by guys, instead I managed to keep them at bay with my constant study habits and non-existent party life. The only thing that actually showed that I had a life other than books at this school was the Cheer squad. And even they knew better than to ask me to hang out after games or competitions. Luckily season just ended so I didn't have to worry about that ruining my GPA.

This is the third date I've been on since I came to this school and already I've managed to pick the Weird Guy, the Sad Guy (you know, the one who can't stop talking about his ex), and now the Guy who's stood me up. At Starbucks.

And now possibly the most attractive guy I've seen on campus is talking to me and all I stutter is a "what" without a smile and slouching over in my chair. Bonnie would be so disappointed.

"You keep looking down at your watch," the Angel said as he sat in the chair across from me. His deep brown eyes glanced from my face to my hand where I kept sneaking a peak at the time for the past fifteen minutes. "And you keep looking around, I can only assume it's for someone. And if that someone is a guy, I just want to tell you that you're too good for him."

"I-I'm sorry. Do I know you?" As attractive and mysterious this Angel was, it's unusual for someone to just act like this: to sit down and start a conversation by picking up my habits.

"No you don't," he said as a matter of fact, calm and collected without any opinion that this whole situation was slightly weird. "And I don't know you," he told me shrugging his chiseled shoulders and taking a sip of his coffee. "But I'm going into psychiatrics and was watching your mannerisms. I'm doing a paper on a person's chemistry by the way they act and couldn't help myself when yours was so eye catching."

My brows furrowed. I wondered if I should take that as a compliment or dead bolt my door tonight. "So you're going to be a psychiatrist?" I asked to clarify.

He shook his head and leaned back in his chair, a shimmer of a smile in his baby browns. "Nah. They give people pills. I'll be a psychologist. You know, the guy who actually talks to people. And by doing so, I study people's mannerisms, like when you tilt your head to the side. You're trying to figure me out. Wonder why I'm sitting here talking to you, yet have you thought about that guy who's," he glanced at my watch. "Thirty minutes late?"

"Thirty minutes? It hasn't been that long," I said looking at my wrist.

He tapped his fingers against his starbucks cup before taking another sip. "Fifteen minutes of looking around, the other fifteen having a pleasant conversation with myself. Thirty minutes altogether, University."

"University?" I asked. Was that a nickname he dubbed me with?

"Your scarf has the college colors on it, I'm guessing you go to this school?"

I shut my mouth from it hitting the ground. I've asked five incomplete sentences and already he told me what I was doing and where I went to school.

"Alright, fine, so you're paying attention," I said squinting my eyes at him. His short dark hair was practically asking me to tame it. "But you don't actually know anything about me."

"I know enough that the football player you're meeting here today doesn't respect you," he said nodding his over my shoulder.

I followed his eyes to see the guy I had been waiting on. He was brushing a girl's bangs out of the way and glanced over at me as he leaned towards her.

I was more confused than I was upset. How did this guy know I was waiting for _him_?

"How?" I managed to squeak as I turned back to—well I never caught his name.

"Mannerisms," he said tapping his head while I shook mine.

"There is no way you could have figured that I was here for him."

"No," he said leaning in close to a whisper. "That was a guess that you just admitted the answer to." I scooted my chair forward to hear him better. "But I know that you're annoyed that he's over there flirting with that girl."

I shrugged my shoulders, too interested at his thought process. "But I have an idea, if you'll bear with me."

Never have I been so caught off guard before. "What's your idea?"I whispered back.

"Not to slap me," he said as he closed the inches off between us.

His lips were the best I'd ever tasted. I hadn't even realized he had some stubble until it lightly rubbed against my chin.

My hand inched its way to the back of his neck to pull him closer to me. His breath tasted of peppermint chocolate as he tugged on my lower lip before detaching himself from me.

"That," he said taking a breath. "Wasn't supposed to happen quite like that. But it did work. You're boyfriend is looking over here now." Matt Donovan was far from that.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Well whatever he is, you deserve better. Much better."

I looked over at the guy who made me wait and blanched as he stalked over here. I could just see the anger fuming off him in waves. "Caroline," he said through gritted teeth. "Who's this guy?"

"The name's Tyler," my Angel said as he held out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. No really, any guy who makes a girl wait for half an hour is number one in my book. I'm sure your mother would be proud."

"Look," I said getting up from my seat. Angel, or in this case Tyler, looked like he was about to get punched. In Starbucks. "Matt, you were late and Tyler was just keeping my company."

"Yeah I could see that when he stuck his tongue down your throat." Tyler leaned back in his chair and just sipped his coffee while Matt continued to raise his testosterone level.

"And who were you talking with over there? Your sister?" I felt like I was back in Mystic Falls again, only drama with stupid boys instead of vampires and werewolves. I don't know which I'd rather be dealing with at this point.

Matt looked flabbergasted. His usually confident and collected face was full of annoyance and aggravation. Even his blonde hair was on end. "Go back to her, Donovan. She looks like one of those girls you'll be sleeping with in an hour. Who knows, maybe you'll get more money for getting down her pants! How much was I worth, huh?"

Tyler's tan face turned to a shade of red as he choked on his drink while I continued on my rant.

"Oh come on now, Matt, you didn't think I was that stupid, did you? I saw you with your friends on the lawn. How you all kept looking over and laughing, you even tossed my name around a few times. Add some money you slipped into each other's hands and I had you pinned from that moment." His face went from angry to embarrassed. The looks we were getting weren't helping either. I hadn't realized my voice climbed an octave higher till a woman was tsking at him. "Why do you think I waited for you? So I could turn you down." I looked outside the window where I spotted a couple of his friends that he made the bet with. They were waiting on a bench, watching the whole thing unfold. I waved with a small smile.

I'm sure they thought that I would leave with Matt Donovan, the hott quarterback that no girl had ever turned down. Guess again, boys.

"I'll see you later Matt," I told him before turning to Angel. "Tyler, you coming?"

"Thought you'd never ask," he said with a grin. Matt seemed to shrink back as Tyler stood up.

Tyler ignored him and followed me outside to the cold winter's air.

**You have no idea how hard it was for me to finish this chapter! I didn't know where to end it. I didn't want to make it too short and I didn't want to make it uber long, so hopefully it was right in the middle. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be updating quite as frequently as I did for "Everthine, Evermine", just because I work. A lot. However, whenever you comment, that lifts my spirits and inspires me to write better and faster which means more of "Angel". Chapters won't be posted any later than 7-10 days(my goal) and I would really appreciate if you give me your thoughts on this chapter(you have nooo idea how much that will meant to me!). Love it, hate it, whichever, as long as you read it.**

**Thanks!**

**-Pheyth**

**P.S. Next chapter(that will have Elena and Bonnie in it) will be posted this Friday the 30****th****. HOWEVER, if I get at least five reviews before then, I will add the next chapter sooner (fingers crossed XP) and MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I hope your day was great!**


	2. or Playing the Game

**Hey you amazing people who gave me so many awesome, uplifting, inspiring, and other things having to do with positivity, reviews! I was/am so excited! I have 5 things I'd like to mention: 1/2. You're all awesome because you decided to read chapter two! And yeah I was wondering why the name (Matt)Davis sounded familiar, I hadn't realized it was one of the actor's actual name. I looked online that Matt's last name is Donovan, so I went back and changed it(thank you Someoneelse and Zoey24 who helped me realize this). 3. I had a great Christmas and can't wait for the New Year! Fingers crossed that I'll have a cute boy to kiss, so wish me luck. 4. I don't know if I should have rated this story K+(or whichever K it is) or T, so I rated it T to be safe. 5. Hate it, like it, whichever as long as you read it…Then review. Please. =)**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Or

Playing the Game

"So that's why you wouldn't leave," he said as we walked outside. Tyler, my Angel, had almost gotten in a fight with Matt, the guy who was thirty minutes late, for whom I was waiting so I could turn him down because he took a bet to get in my pants.

I could already feel my nose getting red as winter was in the process of biting it off. I looked over at Tyler who was studying the people around us. His nose seemed fine. "Do you do that often?," I asked admiring his chiseled jaw. "Have small talk with people you've never met before?"

"Frequently," he admitted. "But you're the first who wasn't so predictable."

So it was a game to him and nothing more. "Well I'm glad I could change that for you," I said slowing my stride.

"Yes," he said matching my pace. "So you knew all along?"

"What?" I asked my word of the day, yet again. Did he notice the pitch of annoyance in my voice? The traffic beside us was getting louder so I had to practically yell.

"That it was a bet? I can't believe he actually did that." I ignored the butterflys that threatened to break free as he bumped into me to move out of a bike-riders way. "Sorry," he said blowing warm air into his hands. I had to remind myself that he was like every other guy. I refused to play his game.

"It's ok," I said sternly. "And yeah, I did know it was a bet the whole time. I was sitting at a bench waiting for the bus a few days ago when I saw him and his friends across the street. They were tackling each other and throwing snow when I heard my name getting called. Only, when I looked up, I noticed they weren't talking _to_ me, they were talking _about_ me."

"According to them," I said taking a deep breath. "I'm a prude who needs to get laid. I don't know how much money was involved though," I said with a laugh. "Apparently enough to make Matt grow a pair and come over to ask me out."

When I looked back at Angel, he was clenching and unclenching his jaw, every muscle prominent against his five-o-clock shadow. "Assholes," he muttered. Was this act part of his game? Chivalry was dead, boys who actually cared were alongside it.

"Isn't it all a big sport for guys?" I asked, bitterness at the tip of my tongue. "Theirs was money, yours psychology. You're no different," I told him.

He stopped right in front of me and turned around to face me. "I've offended you," he said.

"Stop analyzing me. Unlike you, I am a human." I sidestepped him and continued walking.

"University, wait up!" he called behind me. Sometimes I wish boys never existed. They always made life complicated. They flirted with you, act like they liked you, only to stop talking to you and use you for a booty call, or at least try to. The only thing different about this Tyler kid was he did it from a psychologist's perspective.

I'm sure he reeled girls like me in all the time with those deep brown eyes and nicely arched brows, said a few alluring and mysterious words, and thus became 'game, set, match'.

He grabbed me by the elbow and I slowed my pace. "What just happened? You were fine until.." his voice trailed off. "Until I called you unpredictable?"

I huffed, my breath coming out in clouds of puffs. If he was so content on reading me, I'll let him, without saying anything.

"I hadn't meant for that to be an insult. I just—this is how I am, University. What I do. And that, back there," he said pointing to the starbucks two blocks down. "Was something I hadn't anticipated. Look, can we start over?"

I bit my cheek, considering. Should I let my bitterness for the male gender rest solely on his shoulders? "Only if you'll tell me about yourself." He was too cute for me to ignore him.

His boyish grin widened, lighting up his face. He turned back around and we continued walking with him next to me. "Well my name is Tyler."

"That's been established," I nodded and stuffed my hands in my coat pockets.

"And I used to play in football until I had an accident. And no, I don't want to talk about it, but I will tell you that I'm better than that Matt kid you were meeting up with, who, by the way, was more of an asshole than I thought, and you deserve someone ten times better. Your turn"

We ended up at a crosswalk where we both immediately checked for traffic.

I finally answered when we reached the other side of the road. "Well, my friends call me Caroline, not University."

"Wait," he said grabbing my elbow again. "Are we friends now? I think we're rushing, don't you? I mean first, you kiss me, which in case you were wondering, wasn't too bad. And then you ask about my personal life and now you're taking me to—well where are we going?"

"I thought you knew!" I said laughing. "I've been following you! And what're you talking about? _You're_ the one who kissed _me._ And—"

"—So are you asking me to kiss you again? And here you seemed so innocent."

"Stop it," I said hitting him with my elbow. "That just cost you. Now you have to tell me more about yourself. Do you have any siblings?"

He dodged a snowy puddle and lifted a tree branch out of my way. "Nah. But I do have this uncle who tries to be the 'cool guy'. What about you, University—excuse me, since we're friends and all, let me correct myself." He cleared his throat before speaking. "So, Caroline, do you have any siblings?"

"Not that I know of." The only family I ever thought of were my friends. Bonnie, Elena and I were as close as any family. I wouldn't be going to this school if they hadn't convinced me otherwise.

It was the end of senior year, just before this past summer started, that we were hanging out at Stefan's.

_**(Just informing you that this is a flashback)**_

"Can you believe that in three years, we're all going to be twenty-one?" I squealed as I poured some more wine in Elena's glass. We three decided to have a picnic at the Salvatore Manor since they had the free and legal alcohol.

"I hate you," Elena complained as she took another sip. "I told you that last one wash _the _last one, Care. No more wine for thiss girl, as Phophisticated as drinking wine may be."

"Well maybe if you would stop _gulping_ it Elena, then your glass would stop getting empty," Bonnie said as she watched our friend get in a fit of giggles. I joined in thinking the situation was funny as well. It was one of the few memories we had to ourselves.

Stefan and Damon were out catching other vampires that were trying to inhabit our town and we decided to raid the liquor cabinet. "I can't believe this is going to end soon," Elena said throwing her arms wide.

The sky was perfect that day. The sun was out, the clouds were puffy enough to make you think you could jump on them and the grass even seemed greener.

"What do you mean this's going to end soon?" I asked with a hiccup. "We're all going to the same college. We'll be dooming together, dorming—don't give me that look Bonnie, I meant dorming—and we'll have the time of our lives! No more vampires to worry about, no more drama. We'll have normal lifes—shut up Bonnie, you know I meant lives—and give me back my wine, I'm not drunk!"

I looked between my two best friends and realized I was missing something. Bonnie was setting down my glass and pouring herself another, then looked at Elena as if holding a secret conversation. "Guys?" I asked. "Everything ok?"

Finally Bonnie looked at me, her gorgeous eyes held concern, and explained. "Elena and I have been talking and think you should go to NYU."

"We know iss out of shtate," Elena slurred after taking another gulp from the 1859 wine bottle.

"But you're the only one who can actually leave this town," Bonnie finished for her. "You're the only one who's still human and deserves to have a human life. Besides Care, it's NYU." She grasped my hand, "We'll always love you, but Elena and I are stuck here."

"Forever 'n ever," Elena hiccupped. "I'm dating a vampire for goodness stake! Get it? Cuz yew stake 'em. A vampire, thatiss… Hah," she mentioned on afterthought before lying on her back.

"Ignore her," Bonnie said. "I'm a witch, Elena is a doppelganger and you're you. You're free to leave here."

"So basically, I'll be getting in everyone's way." My voice so distant, I barely recognized it myself.

"Yes!" Elena said.

"NO! You wouldn't. It's just, this is something we _can't_ have that _you_ deserve! The loan came through for me, Care. Im going to be able to open that shop I've wanted to have. I can finally help other witches by creating this. I'm going to have herbs and fragrances, everything _I've_ needed throughout the years that I can help with others who are like me."

I just nodded. I was too afraid to say anything I'd regret. Like how it was ripping me to shreds that my best friends were practically kicking me out of my hometown because they didn't want me in the way anymore. Or that Elena was picking Stefan over me because she couldn't even think about losing his side, but how practical it would be if I leave the place I grew up in.

It's bad enough that they both had perfect relationships and I was alone every Valentine 's Day, and now we weren't even going to be going to college together.

It's not like I asked to be in this mess. It's not my fault that out of the three of us, I was the one vampires went after. Bonnie could do magic to protect herself and her boyfriend, Jeremy(who always managed to get himself in trouble), to worry about me. Elena had Stefan _and_ Damon as her watchdogs, and so I was always stuck as the most vulnerable.

Maybe they were right. Maybe I should leave Mystic Falls. It was probably safer.

That night I wrote back to NYU and thanked them for my acceptance letter. An appointment was made a week later for me to meet my advisor.

"Hey Univsersity, you ok there?" Tyler said jolting me back to the now.

"Fine," I answered automatically.

**Gah! I know! How could I have ended it there? We didn't even find out what his favorite color was! Sorry! Guess you'll just have to click that button and let me know what you think. On that note, was this chapter was too long, not funny enough, not romantic enough, or enough enough for that matter? Please let me know what you think of my writing so I can make it better. Next chapter will be up not this Friday, but next Friday.**

**Thanks!**

**-Pheyth**

**P.S. If you want, I will put the next chapter up beforehand if I get at least, gahhhh you're going to hate me(!), TEN reviews. RememberthatIloveyou, and please lemme know what you think!**


	3. or Multiple Surprises

**I cannot tell you how big of a smile I had on my face when I opened up my reviews. You are beyond amazing. Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

Or

Multiple Surprises

"Your home is nice," he said sitting down on my couch.

Tyler had come over for a movie night. For once I was free and ahead of all my classes so I decided to have some fun. Who knew, maybe our lips could reconnect by scene three… I had just put a movie in and was waiting for the popcorn to be done in the microwave. "Where's you roommate?" he asked leaning back and adjusting the pillows

"Out. Partying or something," I answered sitting next to him as the movie began. I made sure we were shoulder to shoulder as I grabbed a blanket for my legs. "So, why are you so in love with psychology?"

He licked his lips as he decided what to say. They were such nice, full, lips. "To figure people out I guess. To have control of a situation." The way he looked down at me made my toes curl. Something changed then.

I couldn't stop as my head leaned in or when my breath caught because his was doing the same. Our faces were an inch apart as his mouth slowly descended upon mine. His lips tasted better than I remembered.

My hands crawled up to the collar of his shirt and gently tugged him closer to me. His warm palms slid slowly from my thighs to my hips and up to my chin leaving a fiery feeling in its place.

"Angel," I said, maybe moaned, as his perfect lips left trails to my neck. My back began to arch closer to him as we ended up laying down on the couch. His talented fingers began to raise the hem of my shirt, a hint to go further, the question pleading in his eyes. I didn't stop him as the fabric began to rise—

And then I woke up. The microwave was beeping signaling that the popcorn was ready.

I finally remembered what was going on. Tyler _was_ coming over for a movie night and I ended up taking a nap on the couch waiting for him. Only who put the popcorn in the microwave..?

"Finally," a deep voice said from my kitchen. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Let's just say my scream probably signaled to the entire apartment complex that something had scared me.

"Woah University, calm down. You wouldn't answer your phone, or the door for that matter. Luckily for me you had it unlocked—that's a safety hazard by the way, good thing I wasn't a burglar—so I walked in." He was staring at me with a grin on his face across the island in the kitchen.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME YOU IDIOT!" I said very loudly as I picked myself off the floor. Did I mention I fell off the couch when I woke up screaming?

Tyler came out holding a bowl of snacks before plopping down at the end of my feet. "You looked too comfortable."

"For future reference," I told him. "I'd much rather you wake me up instead of having an aneurism."

He put some popcorn in his mouth before grinning widely. "Future reference, huh? You're implying we should do this often."

"Stop it," I told him snatching the bowl away. "We are supposed to be having fun, instead you're dissecting my every word, _again_."

"Would you," he retorted snatching the bowl back. "Go and put Lord of the Rings in? I don't know how to work your," he said motioning to my tv, sound system, and remotes. "_stuff."_

"You know," I mentioned getting up and putting the movie in. "That kind of makes me happy. I know something you don't." When I went back to sit down, I stopped and stared.

This was too much like my dream, and it was kind of freaking me out.

"You ok there, University?" he asked taking another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

I just nodded and sat at the complete opposite end, farthest I could away from him. "Peachy."

Two hours later, before the movie had ended, Tyler had fallen asleep on my couch, and something inside me decided not to wake him. He looked so tired. It made me want to reach out and run my fingers through his hair, but I refrained.

Instead, I got up to start cleaning. We had multiple drinks laying around and popcorn thrown around randomely. That was one thing I was always grateful for: a clean roommate. Rose was the best thing I could get last minute, and she paid her half of the rent on time. It didn't matter that our personalities clashed at times or I thought that she was an airheaded bimbo, I could have ended up with a messy nitwit who had no sense of self-hygene.

A part of me had hoped that when I came to college I would meet some people who would help me keep my mind off of Elena and Bonnie, but after months of going to this school, I realized that no matter what, I could never replace them.

"I'm hoooome," Rose sang walking through the front door. I nearly screamed for the second time that day. My eyes said that everything was fine and I wasn't in danger, but my heart wouldn't stop pounding as she scared the crap out of me. I didn't even hear her open the door. "Caroliiine," she continued to sing. "IIII'm hoome."

"Shhhhhh! I have a guest over and he's sleeping," I told my roommate. I was actually surprised to see her. She was never home this early at four in the afternoon and was normally out shopping or spending daddy's money.

She walked over in her high heels and rested her perfectly manicured hand on her hip and examined him. "This isn't that Matt kid is it? I thought you said he was cute."

"Rose, I told you Matt Donovan was paid to get down my pants."

She rolled her big green eyes and slipped her shoes off, instantly becoming four inches shorter. "And I told you Forbes, you should have split the money with him. So is this him or not?" Sometimes I wondered how many morals she had left.

I looked back at Tyler who adjusted on the couch. Rose stared at my Angel as his shirt rolled up when he switched to his back in the middle of his serene nap. "If you don't want him, I will gladly take him," she said taking her shirt off as she was leaving the room. A part of me was always envious about how comfortable she was with her body.

When she came back, she had different heels and a completely different outfit. "I swear Forbes, if you let that specimen get away," her voice trailed off.

"Rose, he has a name."

"Who cares? He has a beautiful body." I wondered how many people, like Rose, licked their lips after looking at Tyler the way her eyes were raking him.

"I've got to go," she said looking at her Tiffany's watch.

"Have fun," I said going back to the couch and opening another pop can.

She gave me a sweet and innocent smile, something about it looked familiar. "As hott as he is, I don't trust him. Make sure he's gone when I come back, which will be exactly one hour. Got that Caroline? One hour." Her heels clicked against the dark wood of our floor as she waslked to the front door and left with a small _click_.

I turned back to Tyler whos snore woke him up. "Hey you," his deep voice rumbled.

"Sleep well?" I asked. He got up and rubbed his head and looked around my apartment as if something had changed.

"Did I miss anything?" I loved the sound of his voice.

"Just Rose," I said setting the can downand leaning back. Tyler sat up and rubbed his face. "She stopped in to change then left. Apparently she wants you gone in an hour. According to her, you are untrusting."

"It's the face." It was comical the way he rubbed his chin as if creating an evil plan. "So are you kicking me out in an hour or do I get to sit here and look pretty?"

"Neither." I told him sitting next to him again and tucking my feet underneath me. "I want to do a psycho-analysis on you. I don't think it's fair that you know what my favorite color is, my birthday, what my last name is, where I'm from, and I only know that you have a cool uncle, you like LOTR, and that you're single and haven't been in a relationship for over a year."

"Well, that is a problem," he said planting his hands behind his head. "Gray, seventeen, and Lockwood. Anything else?"

"Oh no," I told him shaking my head. For once I let my waves down, even if I was having a poofy hair day. I was tired of the messy-bun-because-I've-been-studying-all-night look. "Complete sentences are preferred with the questions."

He turned on the couch to face me and rested his head in his hand. "My favorite color is grey. Don't argue that it's a shade, I always win, and I have decided that it's a color. Why? People look at life in black and white. I hate that. There's a reason behind everything and people need to be more open-minded. I'm seventeen years old and my last name is Lockwood."

My jaw dropped."YOU'RE SEVENTEEN? Tyler, you're jailbate!"

He ignored my rant and added his own input as if speaking to a third person."She's been on about my favorite color for three days and when I finally tell her, she's upset about our age difference. Caroline, calm down, I'm not jailbate. I turn eighteen in three months."

"How can you be in college?" I squeeled, still shocked by his age.

"See, this is why I didn't want to tell you."

"How-how. YOU'RE SEVENTEEN!"

"STOP FREAKING OUT." I finally took a deep breath and shut my mouth. "Thank you," he said as if this whole thing was amusing him. "I have morning classes at the University and afternoon classes back at my highschool. I've been doing this for two years. I, like a handful of students at my school, do this. It saves us money in the long run and it challenges us to excel. I'm a senior in highschool, but when I get accepted into whatever university I'll be considered a junior with all the credits I've taken. I'm getting my pre-requisites out of the way so I can just jump into the psychology at NYU next year."

"You're seventeen, Tyler. I'm nineteen, almost twenty. You're so young! When I was seventeen I was—" Well to tell the truth I was finding out that my best friend, who was not only a doppelganger, but was also dating a vampire who's brother was _also_ a vampire, while my other best friend was a witch. Considering the fact that Tyler was only obsessed about psychology and not in anyway connected to the supernatural world like Mystic Falls was, I should be relieved. He was only two years younger than me. That was it. And slightly odd sometimes. And kissed me good in my dreams. And made me happy, and laugh and—

"Caroline, will you go on a date with me?"

**Ooooohmygosh, yes I did! I ended it there! Yeah, sorry if you hate me, love me if you enjoyed it, either way you're amazing in my eyes. Anyhow, I realize this chapter was kinda choppy and fast. It was hard to write(I had no idea how to create this one) but I hope you enjoyed their kiss aka Caroline's dream. Next update will be posted this Friday, January 13****th****, THREE DAYS BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY!I'MSOEXCITED XP.**

**Ok, well you know what to do with that button right below(your thoughts and opinions mean a lot). Thank you my fantabulous reviewers**

**-Pheyth**

**P.S. If you want, I will try and post the next chapter before Friday as my birthday gift to you. =)**


	4. or The Date

**I am so unbelievably sorry that I did not post this chapter up when I said I would! I didn't realize how busy this semester would make me until I started day one, so unfortunately the next update will be posted in two weeks(an attempt for it to be on Friday the 3****rd**** will be very high and if not, then the 10****th**** ). P.S. I had a wonderful birthday, loved your reviews(your words are so inspiring), and do not own Vampire Diaries in the least.**

Chapter Four

Or

The Date

"Miss Forbes, she's waiting for you," she said coming up to me. My hands lost their clutch on my purse as I slipped it over my shoulder to follow her into room. I kept my head down with every step I took and concentrated on breathing. The walk was short but it still managed to give me chills as we reached room number 512.

Twenty four hours ago Tyler and I were sitting on my couch watching a movie. He was making me laugh, again, and had asked me out on a date.

I said yes.

Now, exactly twenty four hours after we made plans for tonight, I stood him up for a phone call that impacted my life.

"Caroline, you can go in," the nurse said to me. Why did she look at me with pity? Did I really look that scared? The doctor said everything was ok. Why was I so scared?

I walked up to the bed that held the most important patient in the hospital. "Hi mommy," I said sitting in the chair nearby. It scraped against the floor as I tugged it closer to her. The noise seemed to make the building even colder.

"Caroline, what're you doing here, don't you have class tomorrow morning?" Of course the first thing my mother _would_ say to me is about school.

"Mom, you were in a car accident, school can be postponed. Besides, I'm ahead in all my classes."

"That's my girl," she said sternly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

_**Just informing you (so you won't be confused) that this is a flashback.**_

It seemed like seconds, when in truth it was hours ago. Class had just ended and I was on my way home excited about the date with Tyler. I already picked out the outfit and was going to pin half my hair back, I had even started putting on the make-up when I got the phone call.

I recognized the area code of my hometown and answered. "Hello?"

"Caroline Forbes?"

"Dr. Skyles?" Our town was so small, I knew immediately who the voice belonged to.

Timothy Skyles worked in the emergency room seventy hours a week. "What's wrong?" The term 'is everything ok' would have been stupid under the circumstances.

"It's your mother. She was in a car accident." He then began to tell me that she had a concussion that they had under control so she wouldn't have any brain damage. Her neck had a cut where the seat belt dug into her skin. Her ankles were swollen from hitting the pedals and her arm was broken after the impact of the tree.

_**Back to present**_

"How're you feeling, Mom?" I'd never seen my mother look so frail before. Instead of her blond hair looking vivacious and eye catching, it seemed to have lost its light. Her eyes had half their shine as she looked at me and her surroundings. The bruise on her cheek made her broken arm look great in comparison.

"Well, they gave me morphine, which you shouldn't try unless you need to. Did you know that I almost hit a person? She was walking towards me on the road. And no, I didn't notice her because it was raining. My police officer, oh gaw this is such a fun feeling. Caroline honey can you hit the button for me? I need more pain medicine; I'm beginning to feel my broken bones again." I'd never seen my mother in this state before, high off morphine that is. I rarely saw her period for that matter. All my life she'd been consumed with being sheriff and taking care of, what I now know, vampires from taking over our town to the best of her abilities.

"Honey, I'm fine. You need to go back to school. Now get out! GET OUT CAROLINE!" I got up, shocked that she was yelling at me.

I was more concerned and worried than anything else. Not only was my mother a person who was mean when doped up, but crazy alongside it.

Flashbacks about how my life would have been like if she were a drunk ran through my mind. I shuddered at the thought.

"Excuse me," I said going up to the nurses table. They all seemed to have the same look, either annoyed or overly concerned.

"Is everything alright?" one of them piped up.

"My mother, Sheriff Forbes, seems like she doesn't need me right now, should I wait for her to be excused, or come back later, or-"

"Well visiting hours ends in three hours, and we need to keep her overnight and watch her concussion or any negative signs for the next twenty-four hours, so if she doesn't need you, you may leave or stay. Your choice really."

I went home.

Nothing had changed since the few months I was away at college. She took down the Christmas decorations and the bookshelves needed dusting, again. Nothing changed.

I walked up to my room, shocked to see the door shut. Elizabeth Forbes made sure always to leave it open.

Elena, Bonnie, and I were having vampire issues and I didn't come home until five one morning. When I walked inside, my mother was waiting on the couch with a wine glass in her hand just waiting for me to give her the dirt. Because I refused to tell her what really happened that night, she grounded me for the rest of the school year. Since then she always kept my door open to keep an eye on me since I had lost her trust. I guess since I left for college, she kept it closed.

Today was such a long day. How was I going to explain this to Tyler? I didn't even call him on my way back home to let him know that I wasn't going to make it to our date. He probably thinks that I purposefully stood him up. Although why he'd want to go on a date with me, and the fact that he actually liked hanging out with me, is something I don't think I'll fully comprehend.

I was never the girl that guys were interested in. They went after people like Bonnie and Elena.

I stood on the sidelines and never put my foot out there. Who knows, maybe it's about time that I do.

I know I should have called Tyler and let him know why I wasn't able to make it to dinner and I should call Elena to let her know I was back in town, but the thing that was calling me the loudest was the shower.

Thirty minutes in bliss of streaming heated water pouring down my body felt extravagant. It washed off the car ride, my mother who looked like she was on her death bed, the date that I ditched… all of those horrible things. Of course by the time I got out, I had ten missed calls and five messages.

I tied my hair up and slipped into my pajamas before collapsing on my bed to check out the missed calls.

Three were from Tyler, two from each of my best friends, two from Stefan, and even his brother, the devil's spawn, left me a message. All the messages were the same, "Where are you, we heard about your mom, why aren't you picking up and how are you doing?" But the one that stuck out at me was when I heard his deep voice crack in my ear. "Hey University, I guess you weren't really feeling the Italian for dinner, huh? I told you we could have gotten Taco Bell, but you were the one who begged me to go somewhere expensive and high maintenance. Anyway, I hope everything is ok, because I know you're not ditching me. We both know you want to get some of this Tyler action, I mean I would if I were you. It just proves you have good taste. Anyhow. Call me back when you get this. I'm home and waiting and concerned, and still just as attractive as when you left me last."

I couldn't help but chuckle throughout his message until I called him back. "University, so nice to hear from you," he said on the third ring.

"Hey Tyler. Sorry about tonight."

I heard him shuffle some papers around, probably homework, on the other end. "I will forgive the fact that you stood me up, but only if you don't do it again." The fact that he wanted to go on another date with me was heart lifting.

"I don't plan on it." I hope he heard the sincerity in my voice.

"So what happened tonight, University?" I glanced at the clock as I began my story. It took me fifteen minutes to explain to him everything about my mother and how she's staying overnight at the hospital and how I need to take care of her a little bit before I go back to school. He listened patiently and intently from start to finish.

And then my doorbell rang. Tyler, being the understanding Angel he was, said goodnight and we hung up.

I went downstairs as the doorbell rang again and peered through the peephole. Elena was standing there, clutching her elbows and biting her lips. "Elena, I was just about to call you," I said swinging the door open.

She looked up, concern sketched in her expression, "Caroline, how's you're mom? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day but you haven't been answering."

"I know, I'm sorry it's just," I took a deep breath. "So much has happened and Elena I'm so glad you're here. Come inside."

I should have known then and there, but stupidly, I didn't. The Elena I called best friend would have had Bonnie with her. Instead of waiting for an invite, she would have barged in my door attacking me with best friend hugs and not be convinced that I was ok because my mother almost died, something she understood too well.

Instead, I just invited a vampire into my house. "Katherine," I said in realization.

Her act of concern switched to a calm smile. "Thank you Caroline for making this too easy for me," she said before her eyes turned dark and her silvery teeth lunged for my neck.

**Hey, sorry if this was choppy, I finished the chapter just now and hurried so you wouldn't have to wait any longer for those of you who were looking forward to this one. I hope it shocked you, threw you off, and made you excited for the next one which will be posted on either Friday the 3****rd**** or 10****th****. I highly doubt I'll have time to post it up the 27****th****(this Friday), but I will do my best on all aspects.**

**The fact that you picked this story, read it up to now, and (hopefully) enjoyed it, has put a big smile on my face!**

**-Pheyth.**


	5. or Secrets Unfolding

**Gahh I'm so sorry guys. These two weeks have been insanely busy with school and work. Sorry for making you wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 5

Or

Secrets unfolding

Vaguely did I remember the events of last night. I was supposed to go on a date. Mom was in an accident. Something about missed calls. And then there was Elena—no wait it was Katherine, her doppelganger, the vampire who turned Stefan and Damon Salvatore hundreds of years ago.

"Finally, you're up," Rose said walking into my room. "I honestly thought you were dead like a vampire, except you kick in your sleep."

"What?" I said looking around. I was back in my apartment. I did not remember driving back. I was still in the same clothes from when I left.

"Don't you remember anything? Then again you were pretty smashed," she said waving her hand away before diving into her purse for lipstick. "Two nights ago your friend from back home dropped you off. She's pretty fun actually. We'd been hanging out since she brought you back to town." She walked over to my mirror and began applying the red shade to her lips as she continued with her story.

"What was her name?"I asked. My heart began pounding hard and fast.

"Katherine." The pounding stopped, the feeling of falling off a cliff in its place. "She said you were completely drunk, which I didn't doubt since you had, like, no sense of balance. You should be grateful for a friend like that to take care of you. She drove you all the way back to college without complaints because of your drunken stupor." The fact that she could collaborate those big words into sentences shocked me.

So Katherine fed from me and drove me back to my apartment, and yet I don't remember any of this. Did Katherine Compel me?

"Rose, you said I came home two nights ago. I've been asleep for two days?"

"Yeah. Every time you woke up Katherine, she is so awesome by the way, would get you a sandwich or something and help you go back to sleep. You were really messed up after you visited your mom in the hospital. Katherine was there when she ran into a tree. She's the one who called the ambulance. There she was, taking a midnight stroll when your mom goes and sees her last minute, then puts herself into an accident. Good thing no one died."

Why couldn't I feel my heartbeat, or catch my breath? Rose's words went fuzzy in my ears and I fumbled around for my cell phone, I had more texts and missed calls and voicemails than ever before, but that wasn't my concern.

I was looking for my contacts when an unknown number was calling me. "Hello?" I said, trying to regain control over breathing.

"Caroline, wonderful your up."

"Leave me alone Katherine," I said through gritted teeth.

I hadn't realized that Rose had left the room until there was a feint knock at the front door.

"I take it my dear Rose filled you in?" she said from the other line.

My fists were shaking and tears were forming in my blue irises. "You compelled me, didn't you? You've been here for two days, compelling me to go back to sleep. And you got my mother in an accident."

"It's ok Care, it's not like anyone died. Yet," she sighed under her breath. "Honestly Caroline, I didn't want to do this, but _no one_ would listen to me. I told Stefan not to underestimate me, but when he didn't listen, I had to make a point. Besides, I couldn't hurt their precious Bonnie, Elena, or Jeremy, so you were the perfect angle. And besides, I wasn't going to go all the way up to New York just to get you. Your mother was a wonderful experiment gone correctly."

"You set her up _just_ so I would come back to mystic falls? And now what? Will you leave me alone now?"

"Leave, you alone, sure. But your roommate and I _clicked_. So we'll probably be hanging out soon. Don't worry Care," she squeaked out a laugh. "I won't hurt anyone. The Salvatore brothers are talking to me again so I don't plan on anymore attacks in the near future. Besides, if I do, you'll be the first to know. Oh and Care," I could just feel her grin. "Do us all a favor and don't tell your friends? We don't want to ruin the surprise now do we?"

With a loud _beep_, she hung up. What was she planning? I went back to my contacts to call Elena immediately.

"She's sleeping, you moron," I heard Rose yell from the living room. "Now get out."

"Move out of the way, Blondie." Why did that voice sound familiar?

I walked out of my room with wobbly legs. "Tyler?" I asked as I leaned against the wall.

"Oh, so you _did_ decide to wake up," Rose said rolling her eyes and walking past Tyler. "In that case, I'm off. See you later Care, glad to see you out of your room finally."

She shut the door as she walked out which left Tyler and I alone together. "What's wrong?" he asked. His voice seemed so loud in the empty room.

I shrugged my shoulders. That was a very vague question for a very broad answer. "What're you doing here?"

"I was worried about you." He took a step towards me. I fidgeted under his scrutinizing gaze. Did he see the faded bite marks that Katherine left me?

"I hadn't heard from you in two days," he said walking towards me. "Is everything ok?"

Other than the fact that I had a vampire trying to kill my mother and then threatening me, yeah I was fine. And yet I couldn't meet his gaze.

"Caroline, what's up?" His voice was so sweet and soft. "I'd probably understand better than you think I would."

"Tyler, I think we should stop seeing each other," I said with a shaky voice. It was better for him in the long run if he didn't get mixed up with me here and now.

"Yeah, well, I think we should go on a date but I didn't get what I wanted. What happened when you visited your mom? You said she was fine." He sighed. "Why are you pushing me away?"

I took a deep breath and took a step back. Normal guys didn't say stuff like that. They don't just like girls, like me, and find everything perfect with no flaws. He should be running away right now like all the other guys I've dated once trouble hit in my personal life.

They never like to stay when I go through something, or think I'm going through something. They were just there for the ride, then when a bump in the road came up, they wanted out of the car.

"Caroline, what is that?" he asked gently taking more steps towards me until the space between us was non existent. If he hadn't smelled so good I would have felt claustrophobic.

His warm fingers touched my neck where Katherine had bit me two days ago. I flinched back. A flash of her fangs raced through my memory and the pain as her teeth cut through my flesh.

"Caroline, please, talk to me."

When I wouldn't respond he sighed. "Fine. You don't want to talk now, that's fine. But I like you and I'm here whenever you need me, because I know you will."

He turned to leave then stopped. "One more thing," he said facing me. "Only because I've been wanting to do this for a while now." He let go of the door handle to place his hands on my waist. I stumbled as he pulled me towards him, my hands landing on his shoulders in the process. "Stop me if you don't want this," he said as he slowly inched his face towards mine.

I didn't stop him.

His lips softly pressed against mine with a fight between urgency and patience , wondering if this was what I really wanted. My fingers crept from his shoulders to the back of his head where I pressed my every angle against him, wanting more.

He responded perfectly and slid his thumbs through the loops of my jeans to yank me closer. Our tongues wrestled and I pulled my head back to catch my breath while his lips traced their way around my neck to the hemline of my shirt.

My fingers ran through his hair as our mouths collided again in our sudden urgency. I had never had this chemistry with anyone I'd ever kissed before. It felt like everything was perfect.

And then my phone rang. I would have ignored it, but it was Elena, and I needed some questions answered. "Tyler," I breathed out, slightly pushing him away. "I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath, reigning control over his want to kiss me some more. "I'll go." His eyes were closed as he pressed his forehead against mine. "I'll see you later," he said kissing me once more before opening the door to leave.

I watched as it shut before I answered my phone. "Caroline?" Elena asked petrified.

"I'm fine. I'm back at campus. What happened?"

"Katherine is back in town and is being psychotic. No one thought she'd go after you because you're away at school. Are you ok? Damon said he asked someone to keep an eye on you, but apparently that didn't work. What happened to you?"

I quickly filled her in on what happened on my end. That I woke up from two days of being Compelled and that I'd really like for her to meet Tyler, when someone else picked up the phone.

"Did I just hear you say Tyler?" he asked in a monotonous tone.

"Damon?"

"Yes, blondie, it's Damon. Don't tell me you're hooking up with Tyler Lockwood."

I stared at the phone in annoyance before putting it back to my ear. "Yes, Tyler Lockwood. How do you know his name? And we're not hooking up." Just random kisses here and there.

"Because Stefan had been asking him to protect you."

"What?"

"He's a werewolf, Caroline. I knew someone would go after you eventually, and since you mean a lot to Elena, Stefan ordered him to be your body guard. Centuries ago, Stefan helped his great-great granddad out with something, and now he's making him owe him back. By protecting you."

My heart dropped. The one guy I considered liking at college turned out to be _using_ me, getting closer to me _just_ so I wouldn't die under his watch. Not only that, but he was a werewolf.

**Bum bum bum. I hope you liked this chapter, I made it extra long for you(or what I thought was extra long) and inserted a kiss scene. Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter—whether you like it or not, WHAT you liked about it and so forth. Next one will be up in two weeks(that Friday). Again, I am so sorry that I didn't post this yesterday, and yeah, your reviews inspire me to write more, better, and faster. Are you shocked about Tyler? Did you see it coming? Lemmeknowthanks, andyou'reawesome.**

**-Pheyth**


	6. or Pictures to Burn

**Hello my amazing reviewers and readers. I'm really glad you liked the twist, and I just wanted to let you know that that is only the beginning. I have two more things coming up that will shock you(more so than the last chapter) and I'm just deciding how to fill it all in. Your words are so inspiring to me, and I really appreciate your reviews. By the way, the reason why I haven't updated is because my little computer has crashed! So now I have to go to the library instead of work from the comfort of my bed. **

**On that note, here's the revised chapter six Klaus-free of whom will no longer be in this story =)**

Chapter six

Or

Pictures to Burn.

Werewolf. He was a werewolf. And he was supposed to protect me.

It all made sense now, he tried to keep my heart broken from Matt, he was worried sick that I was nonresponsive for two days because I may have been dead, and he wanted to date me so it would be easier for him to keep an eye on me.

My Angel really was my Gaurdian Angel and nothing more. "Take another sip Caroline," Elena said pouring me another shot. "You know the rules. For every thought about—well would you look at the time, I've forgotten his name already—"

"Tyler," Bonnie said correcting her. "Every time you think about Tyler, you have to take a drink," Bonnie said.

"And we _knew_ you're thinking about him. Way to judge me Bonnie. I know I said knew, when I meant know. You're not sompletely cober either," Elena said at the end of my couch.

Mom had been home for a week now, and I've been with her to make sure everything was ok. When I talked with my professors, they said I could e-mail my homework for every due, which was very nice of them.

"Can we make brownies?" Bonnie said scrunching her face up. "I'm getting hungry."

"Bonnie made a rhyme, Bonnie made a rhyme," my other best friend laughed in a sing-song voice.

"I just can't believe he lied to me," I said biting my lip.

My mother, who was ignorant to her daughter getting drunk in the downstairs living room, was passed out in her bed.

We all had a few more drinks before going to sleep ourselves. I'm sure they had wonderful dreams. Mine consisted of a Werewolve turning human to ask me out on a date.

The next day I was the first to wake up. I'd been home for five days and already I was back on my highschool routine.

I'd wake up, go put on my jogging suit, and run for a mile to the nearest coffee shop. I would do this every day before school.

In college, I was too busy with 21 credit hours, but it was nice getting back into my old routine. For the past five days, I'd been getting up to go for a jog, come back home and then do my homework. It was nice seeing my best friends again, and they've been helping me out with the whole Tyler Thing, but running was the only thing that ever made me stop thinking.

Elena and Bonnie were passed out on my living room floor, empty liquor bottles safely hidden from the eyes of my mother, should she ever decide to come down.

I went to my closet and slipped my yoga pants over my knee high socks before zipping up my North Face jacket. When I went back downstairs with quiet footsteps, my friends were mumbling in their sleep.

I locked the door behind me and took my first step off the porch in the cool spring air. It was chilly out, but I would be burning up in a moment or two.

No one was out this morning, which was surprising, but then again it was a Sunday, and people were probably getting ready for church.

For once I wasn't waving to neighbors or saying a quick hello.

It was just my footsteps pounding the sidewalk that made any noise that morning.

It took me twenty minutes, my worst time, to get to A Cup's Delight. Everyone there knew me, and often gave me free coffee for how much I'd buy from them. I was a good customer.

"Here's your mug, Caroline" an old woman asked from the other side of the cash register. Her white hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her cheeks were rosy as ever as she went to her coffee pot.

"Hi Mrs. Norris. I'm late this morning, how did you know I'd be here?" I asked putting change in the tip jar.

"It's Sunday. Everyone is late on Sunday. Oh, you don't have to pay for this one. That gentleman in the corner did a 'pay it forward' and pitched in five dollars for whoever was next in line."

"Well that was very nice of him," I said taking the hot coffee.

"I'd make you go over and say thank you but he left already. Gorgeous one that one, let me tell you. He seemed your type too. Tall dark and handsome. Why if I were your age….let's just say he wouldn't be single for long. I've always liked a guy with dark hair and dark eyes." An image of Tyler popped in my head. But he didn't even know I was back home. I didn't even tell Rose before I left.

"Well thank you Mrs. Norris, I will keep an eye out," I said turning to leave. The door chimed as I walked out in to the rays of the warm sun when my phone rang. "Mom?" I said picking up on the second vibrate.

"Honey, I need you to stop by the office for me and pick up the folders in my mailbox. Mack said it's been piling up."

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I pictured mom walking around the kitchen in her bunny slippers wondering why her liquor cabinet was empty.

"I'm in bed for crimes sake. It hurts to move anyway. I just need you to stop by the office. Thanks." The line went dead as she hung up on me, the noise more calming than her demanding and impatient voice.

I was about to stop home when I realized it would be faster if I just walked to the police department. The fact that Mystic Falls was so small could be annoying at times but for moments like these, I didn't mind.

Fifteen minutes and aching legs later, I came to a halt in front of two glass doors that led its way to my mother's work. "Caroline! Your mom said you'd be coming in." Mack called out when I walked in. Everyone here loved me, and adored me even more when I brought in cookies for cheer squad. Instead, this time I came empty handed.

"Hey Mack! How've you been?"

"Trying to keep the Mrs. happy, that's what. Have you seen the newbies yet?"

"Newbes?"

He walked around the desk, and opened the locked doors that were closed from the public. I, being the Sherriff's daughter was always the exception. "Yeah, new cops. Some of them have heard word about you being your mother's daughter and all."

"Trying to set me up on a date, Mack?"

"No." I would have believed him if his cheeks hadn't gone firey hot. "They're good guys, Care. And you deserve one of those. Being a 4.0 student and doing nothing but school. You deserve some fun."

My mind went to vampire rampages and werewolf secrets. "I have all the fun to last me a lifetime Mack, trust me."

"Brion," Mack called past my shoulder. "Go get the papers in Forbes mailbox."

'Brion' truned right back around to do as his superior said. "Enjoy being the old guy?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Loving it." He winked back at me then stood up straight and threw his thumbs in the belt loops of his pants. "Brion, take Caroline home, will you? Caroline, this is Steve Brion, newest cop to our force."

Of course he looked nearly identical to Tyler. I guess brown hair and brown eyes was my lot in life. But no one's eyes could sparkle the way Tyler's did or have the exact shade of skin.

"Sure. Where did you want me to put the mail?" Brion asked. Mack took it and gave the papers to me, a folder among them. The date and hour of my mother's accident was written down in thick marker on the front.

"Thanks Mack," I said as he walked away, giving me no choice but to follow Brion to a squad car.

"So you're Liz's daughter?"

"So you're the newbie?"

We both got in the car and avoided each other's questions. Steve Brion was attractive, but too similar to a familiar were wolf.

He turned up what other officers were saying over the patrol to fill the silence as I decided to look through the folder that had caught my eye in the first place.

It was filled with pictures and the first made my heart stop. "You ok?" Brion asked keeping his eyes on the road as we neared my house.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I responded in shock at the picture in front of me. Katherine stood in front of a car. Elena would never look that demonic. My mother's car had just begun to swerve in the shot. Another picture was a specific zoom in of Katherine. You could see the shadow of the light on her pale skin. Her eyes seemed completely dark with no whites present. It was like a shark bracing for an easy meal.

We came to a stop and I gave Steve my biggest smile so he wouldn't know I was having a panic attack.

The car door shut with a loud noise as I continued to smile and wave as if I were in a pageant. It wasn't until he rounded the corner did I turn and head inside, making sure to throw the vivid pictures of Katherine away in the garbage can outside the garage before I opened the screen door to my porch.

**Better? You likes? I hope so =) I will post the next chapter up tomorrow. I can't wait to read what you think!**

**-Pheyth.**


	7. or A Roses Thorn

**Well I completely deleted Klaus from the story and re-wrote the last chapter. One, he wasn't going to be a main character at all, just something to throw in from time to time, but it actually makes this easier since he's gone. Ok, I'll let you read and I hope you likes.**

Chapter 7

Or

A Roses Thorn

"Would you _shut up, PLEASE_," Bonnie said once I got home. I set the mail from my mother's work down before I slipped off my shoes.

Bonnie's hair looked like she'd come from a tornado and Elena looked nearly as bad, but somehow still perfect.

"Bonnie," Elena responded in a quiet voice that I didn't know was possible. "That was the door. That wasn't me SO PLEASE STOP YELLING." She clutched her eyes as if they were burning and threw a pillow at the front door where I had just walked through.

"Good morning ladies," I said quietly and tiptoeing into the room.

"What time is it?" Bonnie asked gowling out a whisper as I joined them on the floor. We all had our sleeping bags out and pillows were thrown everywhere from the night before. Some wine glasses were still filled with alcohol on tables that my mother would scold us later about 'not using coasters'.

"One in the afternoon," I said rolling some blankets up.

"Stefan will be wondering where I am," Elena said shooting up before clutching her head in an immense hangover. "Bonnie cast a fracking spell on me won't you?"

"Learn how to hold your liquor," she replied in annoyance. "I'm not a hospital you guys can go to for morphine."

Elena was about to come back with a witty response before I interrupted. "What're you and Stefan doing today?" I asked.

Elena and Bonnie glanced at each other quickly enough where I could have missed it, but fast enough for me to interpret it. "Tell me what's wrong NOW?"

"Why is nuisance here?" Damon asked when I walked in the manor behind my two best friends. "This is a meeting for brunets _only."_

I couldn't stop but think about my mother who was half passed out on pain killers when I left the folders on the edge of her bed just close enough for her to reach. She would never realize some of the pictures that were missing. She would never understand why 'Elena' would be standing in front of her car. And if she looked into it, only bad things would happen.

"Shut it," I warned with a glare snapping back to the now.

"Only if you'll do it for me." I nearly gagged as he puckered his lips at me, but I managed to control my stomach.

The next thing I knew he was thrown across the room by an unknown source. "Lockwood!" Stefan yelled in a commanding voice. "He's not the enemy!"

Tyler stood in the shadow of the sun where Damon had just been standing before he threw him into the farthest wall. "He shouldn't dish out what he can't take," he said in a deep voice that made my body shiver. Was he defending me? I don't care how young he was, I couldn't stop this attraction I had for him. And then my brain clicked.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I asked.

"WOULD EVERYONE STOP YELLING?" Elena screamed. She clutched her head while another pounding wave attacked her hangover.

"We're having a supernatural meeting," Bonnie began to explain. She went by Damon to help him up, a sight I wasn't used to. Since when did they get along?

"What does Tyler have to do with this?"

Stefan ignored me and turned to Elena, a finger pointed in my direction. "What is she doing here?"

"She figured us out Stefan," Bonnie answered for her. "It's not like she wasn't going to find out later. We can't keep any secrets here."

"Why did a cop take you home this morning?" Tyler asked pulling me aside.

"Is everything ok?" Elena asked just as curious. Apparently no one understood the term 'personal'.

There was no way I could tell them about my mother's mail. It would just cause more worry and reason to freak out. "You followed me? What the hell is wrong with you Tyler. First you lied to me and now you're stalking me?"

"Caroline, he's still your protector. Just because you don't want it doesn't mean it's not going to happen,"Stefan said as a matter of fact. Period. End of discussion.

"I'm sorry," Tyler whispered while the others began to bicker. I was the only one who could hear him and took a step back as he reached out to me.

"That's it!" Stefan screamed interrupting the chatter. He seemed to have grown with the power since I saw him last. We all went silent. "Katherine is back in town and we need to figure out why. So far no one's turned up dead which is a count but we also need to know her motive before we're attacked."

"Don't be naïve brother. You know she wants you again."

"But that's not the only reason," Bonnie interjected. "She attacked Caroline's Mom to get to her. There has to be a reason for that and we need to know why."

Everyone started arguing again that no one noticed as I left the room and made my way outside back to my car. Tyler looked like he was ready to break down a wall just so Damon would shut up and Stefan was trying to calm Elena, a normal look for the group while Bonnie was trying to split up the testosterone between Damon and Tyler—something I was still getting used to.

When I walked outside the sun beamed down on me in a warm breeze. The driver's side of my car door squeaked open as I slid in.

"Caroline?" A deep voice asked as I rolled down my window.

"Jeremy!" I jumped out of my car and gave him the biggest hug I could. The last time I saw him was before I left for school. "You grew an inch or two," I said clutching his hair before messing it up. "And you lost weight."

"Turned it into muscle," he explained before examining me over. "So you're back for another round of vampire drama? I told Elena we should send our story into MTV or the CW to make it into a show. We'd be making bank on money."

"Novel first," I suggested. "With a badass penname like L. or something." We both chuckled at the thought. "No I'm going back to college actually. I don't think they need me back here," I said before we both heard a crash from the manor. Tyler probably threw Damon through the floor.

"We always think that," he said turning to the house and leaning on my car. "But they need us more than they realize. We're the only thing that holds them to humanity. My girlfriend is a witch that I am in love with and my sister is a doppelganger and her boyfriend is a vampire and then Damon…" his voice trailed off.

"Is Damon," we said together.

"If you or I get hurt, they wouldn't be able to deal with it. The reason why they always send you away is because you're more vulnerable than I am. Alaric has been teaching me to become a vampire hunter and you're Caroline Forbes. Most popular girl wherever she goes. But that doesn't protect you."

"Well," I said shoving him off my car. He barely budged. "I'm leaving for school again so it's ok. You guys won't have to worry about me."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said looking around the area. "Katherine attacked your mom. She wants you here. What'll happen if you go back to school?"

An image of my mother bloodied at the bottom of our steps in the hallway popped in my head. Katherine would make it look like an accident. Elizabeth Forbes, town Sherrif dies by falling down the steps and cracking her head open. Front page of our town newspaper.

"So I'm trapped." Was that my breathing that was so loud? "She wants me here and I can't get out. I'm like a mouse in a maze. I'll hit a wall until I am led exactly where she wants? Jeremy this doesn't make any sense."

Before he could respond, we heard laughter, a chilling sound and an instant panic. "You humans are such an amusement to me. I wish there were more like you in the world for me to manipulate. I mean every human being is, but when it comes to the fact that I know your loved ones? It makes it that more exciting."

"Katherine, how nice to see you again," Damon's voice said to my left. "No really, it's so refreshing to know that I still have the chance to rip your heart out." Elena was standing just inside the house with Bonnie. They were safe since vampires like Katherine weren't invited into what the Salvatore brothers had signed over to Elena, making it into her manor. Tyler blocked my view standing between Katherine and myself while Stefan took place in front of Jeremy.

"Damon don't sound so bitter just because all the girls fall for your brother. It's pathetic. Anyway, the reason why I'm here, as I know you're all thinking it. We, the seven—wait where's the other one? There's supposed to be eight. Where's the hunter?"

"Alaric is out of town," Stefan said calmly.

"Sounds like you're already losing I suppose." She shrugged her slim shoulders. "Your loss. I guess someone is going to die now because you're not playing by the rules. And the game is just starting, too! After all the trouble I went through so Caroline could join."

"But," Jeremy said stepping out from Stefan's shadow. "There's eight of us here already. You, Elena, Bonnie, Damon, me, Care, Stefan and Tyler,"

"Alright, alright," she said with a roll of her eyes and a cross of her arms. "The wolf will take Alfred's place."

"—Alaric."

"Damon, I really don't appreciate you interrupting me," she said as he collapsed to the ground and clutching his head. I'd never heard someone scream in so much pain. And then his agony stopped with a snap of her cold fingers. "You're not the only ones with a witch." She sighed. "Idiots," she muttered. "Anyway, the first part is to keep one of your own alive which isn't including the other seven of you."

How had I not noticed that we were surrounded by some sort of supernaturals? I couldn't tell if they were werewolves or "Vampires," I instinctively cursed as nearly twenty people—things—flashed their fangs. My stomach plummeted.

"I just hope all of you survive this," she laughed before the first launched himself at us.

Damon easily grabbed him from the air smashed his head on his knee. The impact was the first _crunch_ as he broke his neck.

Jeremy pulled out stakes from underneath his shirt and pant legs before expertly throwing them into at least three different vampires.

Sounds of a battle erupted around us as Bonnie took her place on the porch and began muttering spells. Tyler took a back step towards me, his back to my front as he collided with a vicious vampire, a girl who was no bigger than me snapping her jaws in my direction, wanting the blood that pulsed at my neck.

"Caroline!" Elena's voice yelled through the fight. A fist clutched at my hair and pulled my neck back. Cold and soft teeth rubbed against my skin. Instead of panicking, I felt very calm.

I was taken back to the cheer squad. We always had late practice and our coach was always worried about us ladies walking back to our dorm alone so we took mandatory self defense classes. Those lessons kicked in.

On instinct, my foot wrapped around the back of the vampire clutching at my throat, making him lose balance. My hands clung to his arm, no longer trying to scratch off but hold steadily as I leaned forward, forcing him to go flying over me as I threw him off me.

Stefan helped me up as we all looked around. All of us were taking deep breaths, calming our nerves. The smell of burnt soot hung in the air from the vampires Bonnie had caught on fire. It took me a minute to realize that Tyler was still fighting someone, holding her down with force I never knew he had in him.

"Rose?" I asked recognizing my roommate. Her tousled hair was falling out of its bun and she was wearing normal clothes instead of her normal posh attire. "You're a vampire?"

"Glad to have fooled you, you blond bitch," she snapped at me. "You're pathetic. The moment Katherine let me attack your mother was the best day of my life."

"You what?" I collapsed on the ground. Tyler held a firm grip on my roommate while I was left alone.

"I was the one who kept putting you back to sleep for two days you idiot. Your blood tasted better tan hers though."

"You _bit Caroline?" _Tyler yelled, his own werewolf fangs coming out.

"Tyler!" Stephan said pulling him back while Damon took his spot to holding my roommate down. "We have an informant. We need her alive."

The werewolf shoved him off before sitting down in front of me and looking at my scarred neck. There were more than two days of bite marks worth and he put two and two together. "Katherine bit you and brought you home. Then turned Rose. She'd been feeding off you and Compelling you to forget. Stefan," he said to him while wiping my eyes from the tears that began to fall. "She's lying. No one left Caroline's before hand for more than a few hours before we found out about her mother. Rose is egging us. She wants us to kill her."

"Why,"Jeremy said as Elena joined Stefan.

"_The first part is to keep one of your own alive which isn't including the other seven of you_," Bonnie said. "She's the only survivor and Katherine left. She's the one who isn't one of us that need to be kept alive."

"And she is one of us," Damon said putting the rest of the riddle together. "She's a vampire."

"We need to put her in the basement and figure out what we need to do next in this _game_ of Katherine's," Stefan said.

"You ok?" Tyler asked wiping off some blood from my forehead. Somewhere along the battle I had been scratched. Everyone was somewhere in the manor, Damon and Jeremy taking guard of Rose in the basement cell while Bonnie Elena and Stefan decided the next plan of action.

My legs were placed on either side of Tylers thighs as he got another wet cloth to wipe my arms off from the mud that caked them lightly.

His breathing was calm and collected as if the battle that had happened were a part of his everyday life.

"Are you ok?" I asked quietly, aware of close his body was pressed up against me.

In answer he slumped against me and rested his head in the crook of my neck. The deep sigh he blew out gave me pleasant shivers against my skin. "My job was solely to protect you and so far I've done nothing but a shitty job. You were gone for two days being fed off of, and then you were nearly killed out there. I thought I was smelling Katherine off her, I didn't know the scent of vampire _was_ Rose. I'm about to call someone else in to take my place."

The thought of not being able to see Tyler while doing this 'game' made my heart stop.

"Besides. You can't stand me anymore as it is."

"That's not true." I sighed, prepared to explain myself. He was seventeen after all, a time when raging hormones went wild, no matter how high his maturity level was. "Tyler," I said resting my hands on either side of his face and making his eyes meet mine. "I really liked you and then I found out that the only reason why you talked to me was because it was your duty as my protector."

"That's not all it was Caroline." The feel of his warm hands were slowly, tantalizingly, running up and down my arms. "I mean the first five seconds of it were but then that kiss…" he bit his lip. "And the way you told that Matt kid off. You know, I've always liked a girl who can stand up for herself."

"Don't leave us. Don't let someone replace you," I said. I rested my forehead against his and we both took a couple of deep breaths. He smelled of mint with a hint of musk, somehow a nice mix.

"I'll stay then University." His hand made its way up to my hair and gripped it to make sure I was really there. "Only because you want me here. Otherwise I could really kill that Demon kid."

I giggled. "You call him kid and he has a few hundred years on you. And his name is Damon"

He closed his eyes as his nose rubbed against mine intimately. "He's still a Demon." His lips were so soft. I never realized how much my body missed his. It's like we fit each other perfectly. He pressed himself even closer to me, reminding me that my legs were on either side of his thighs as his mouth opened mine up with a fiery tongue. He pulled back slightly, a silent whimper leaving before he pushed his lips against mine again with more force.

His teeth as light and gentle as they were, grabbed my bottom lip between them and tugged, pulling my body closer to his as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders holding as tight as I could. "Tyler," I whispered wondering how many others could hear us.

"University," he said back, mocking me.

"We should…"

"Finish this up later?" He pulled away and kissed the tip of my nose. "I agree. Besides, we have a new guest." He heard a car pull up before I did.

He led me down the steps, his hand firm and reliable as I held onto it. My heart was still pounding. I couldn't wait till later when we would 'finish this up' as he put it. Was this a beginning of something?

We went down to the fireplace where everyone met up. A guy who looked like Tyler only bigger and a little older walked into the room and took his place at the entryway. "Mason?" Tyler asked. "What're you doing here?"

"You all need to see this."

He pulled out a laptop and inserted a disk while we leaned in. Alaric came on the screen. Blindfolded and gagged. Elena stifled a cry.

The camera moved out and showed a woman with dark blonde hair was next to him in chains. "Jules!" Tyler cursed. He let my hand go to give him some space to calm down and cool off his anger. This Jules must mean something to him.

A voice came on screen, familiar and one that I lived with. Rose. "Hi, Katherine is unavailable right now. In the meantime you'll have to deal with me, your faithful narrator of games to come. You have fourty two hours to find these two. If not, one of them will die." Her voice clicked off and the screen turned black.

The image of Alaric and Jules stayed in my head. Both of them beaten up with bruises and random blood trickling from different areas.

"This is a message not just for us werewolves but for the group of you," Masons deep voice said. "Our pack got this five hours ago and we're already searching. I immediately came down to you." He looked directly at Stefan as he said this. Their truce was stronger than natural beastly disagreement.

"We have Rose," Stefan replied as Elena went to bonnie for comfort. "She's the one who spoke in the video. She can tell us where they are.

**Wow so it was very hard for me to end this chapter. I wanted to make it long for you guys because I have sucked at updating this story so here you are(three-thousand-five-hundred words to be exact)! I have the next chapter started so I should be able to update it soon(within the next 2 weeks =D). Your reviews inspire me like nobody's business so I would really appreciate it if you clicked on that beautiful button that you know what I'm talking about ;) I hope you liked this chapter and can't wait for the next one! =)**

**-Pheyth**

**P.S. The more reviews, the faster the update ;)**


	8. or Compulsion

Chapter 8

Or

Compulsion

"Caroline," Rose whispered to me. It came out more as a moan. Her voice sounded like it was on the verge of breaking. "Why are you letting them do this to me?"

We had her chained against the back wall in the basement. The Salvatore manor never seemed as quiet as it did now while we tried to get the answers out of her. "These people are murderers," she said, trying to reason with me. "Do you really think they'll keep me _alive_ once they're done with me?"

Everyone decided it should be I to interrogate her.

The sound of her complaints were becoming unbearable. I had to stick to the point. "Rose, you need to tell me where Alaric and Jules are. I can't help you out of this mess until you help me."

Tyler and Mason were outside the door like two protective canines. Tyler wouldn't have it any other way.

"Rose, where was the video taken?" I still don't know how I held on to patience.

"I don't know! She said you wouldn't torture me!" The tears began to fall again. It comes and goes after every five minutes. "I'm so hungry." She slumped against the wall, the metal of her chains clanging together as she collapsed on the floor. "Caroline…please le—"

"Rose, we just fed you. If you're not going to answer me, they'll find a way out to get it out of you."

As if on cue, Mason opened the rusted door—a good choice for intimidation. His shoulders almost reached both sides of the doorway and his head nearly touched the ceiling.

Rose on instinct recoiled and flashed her fangs. The motion seemed like animalistic instinct. Mason in turn began to growl from the pit of his core.

There was no way this wolf was going to let my roommate go without answers. "I don't know where she moved them!" She yelled. Tears slowly streamed out of her eyes whether if they were true or not, Mason didn't care.

He walked around me fast enough for me not to realize, or _do_ anything for that matter, and had her pinned against the wall. "I could kill you," he said. "Right now. Did Katherine," the name said with poison, "ever tell you what a werewolf bite does to bloodsuckers like you?" He didn't wait for a response, her whimper was good enough of an answer. "It kills you. Slowly. Gruelingly. Rancorously through your veins. It becomes so painful you begin to hallucinate. Or at least you wish to because you'd need something to dull the malady." He lowered his face closer to hers. She writhed against the wall, trying to get away from him. "And all I need to do is take a simple bite." I tried to say something, move, but I couldn't.

"They're in the abandoned house on the edge of Mystic Falls!" The noise was shattering. Her voice reached an octave that scared the closest living creatures away. Including Mason who backed up from receiving his answer. "Let me go now, please," she begged, her plea almost pitying. But then I remembered her feeding off me for two days straight.

I followed Mason out the door.

Stefan decided that he, Mason, Damon, and Tyler should go check it out while the rest of us stayed behind. Bonnie reminded them that we were all in this game together but they didn't listen.

"I hate sitting here. Doing _nothing_," Bonnie said as the front door clicked shut.

"Welcome to my world." I ignored Elena as she sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable.

After another sigh, Bonnie went downstairs to join Jeremy while he kept watch on our prisoner.

I couldn't stop thinking about school. I was a week behind in lectures. Books could only teach you so much compared to what the professors have to say.

"I wonder how it's going out there," Elena said solemnly.

Everything always had to be about her: 'Oh there's something going on in the vampire world, I must take note.' Then 'Stefan and I are meant to be together forever and anyone who tries to come between that are hurtful monsters'.

Katherine is just a woman scorned who has an eternity to fill out her revenge.

Sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if there weren't any supernaturals.

Elena's parents would still be alive, Bonnie would be a normal girl instead of a witch and Tyler wouldn't be in debt to Stefan because of his ancestors.

But then, Bonnie wouldn't have been able to help us when we got hurt—and not because of vampires or anything. Like when I broke my arm and she healed it in a pinch or when Elena nearly drowned and Bonnie pulled her out with magic. Plus, I never would have even met Tyler in the first place. Everyday I want to learn more about him but there's always something getting in the way.

It had been eight hours. Eight whole hours since they left us. I was nearly falling asleep on the couch.

"Guys," I said, exhausted. "I think I'm going to go home. There's nothing I can do here while we wait and I need to go check on my mom and see how she's doing."

"Ok, text me when you get home," Elena said hugging her knees. I could only imagine what she was thinking. All she had left were Jeremy, Alaric who stepped in as a father figure and Stefan who was someone she absolutely adored.

When Elena turned eighteen, they Compelled her aunt to go travel Europe like she always wanted. We were having another difficult time with certain vampires and they needed to keep her safe. I'm surprised—and grateful—that they never Compelled me away.

I got home within fifteen minutes and walked in on my mother who was sound asleep in her bed with the folder open and notes of hers written on blank sheets of paper. She was never going to figure out that it was Katherine that she hit that night. There's no way I could convince her that she was a vampire, and _not_ Elena.

I crept up to my room and grabbed some pajama's before secluding myself to the shower to clean off the stress from the day. When I got out, my bed called me like a siren to her captain, and I fell into it like a hot knife in butter.

"Caroline," A voice said quietly.

And then the world began to move as someone grabbed my shoulders and shook them violently in the middle of my REM sleep.

"University," the voice said louder.

I groaned, slapping my sleep invader in the process. A well deserved moan came from him. It wasn't until my fist moved my hair out of my face did I realize I punched him. "Are you ok?" another voice asked.

"Shut _up!"_ I said interrupting the dialogue.

"She _punched _me," The deeper voice said. Why did he sound shocked? Did he not know I was not one to mess with when it came to food and sleep?

"Caroline, you need to get up."

"Bonnie?" I asked coming to and recognizing her voice. "What are you doing here?"

The moon outlined the silhouettes of Bonnie and Tyler as they stood in front of me. Slowly my eyes adjusted and I looked around for my phone to see what time it was. "THREE IN THE MORNING, ARE YOU—"

"Shhh," Tyler said covering up my mouth with his warm palm. "We got Alaric, but there's another rule. We can't get it out of Rose and she's the only one who knows. She keeps asking for you."

"Why didn't you get Katherine if you got Alaric? And what about Jackie?" How was I able to ask so many questions?

"Her name is Jules," Tyler said. "Please, get up. We need you to talk to Rose."

I didn't know if it was the forlorn sound in his voice or the requisite words he said. He needed me. And he needed me to get up. Now.

My eyes finally realized Bonnie had turned on a light and handed me some clothes. Tyler stepped out as I changed and Bonnie picked out my favorite sneakers as I threw them on.

"Come on, he's probably already started the car," Bonnie said leading me down the steps. Mom was snoring as usual and she didn't even hear them come in or me leave.

"Did you put the key back?" I asked Bonnie as we reached the porch. We always had a spare key under our frog gnome.

"I'm a witch," she said. "I used my magic."

Tyler was in the front seat with the car already started, ready to go and eyes forwood.

"Thanks," I said as she opened the door for me before climbing in herself. I was still fumbling from sleepiness.

"So what happened when you went to the house?" I yawned out, trying to wake myself up and be vigilant.

"Alaric was there, exactly where he was in the video," Tyler said as he gripped the wheel. His knuckles were turning white.

"And Jules?" I still didn't know who she was to him.

"Katherine was there and saw that not everyone was there. We weren't playing by the 'rules', so she took Jules last minute. We were too late and couldn't catch her. She did, however, have a note in case this would have happened."

"What did it say?" I asked as he continued with the story.

"_Ask Rose." _I'd never heard his voice so detatched.

The rest of the ride was silent.

When we got back to the manor, everyone was separated into different rooms. I walked straight to the basement. Rose had some new cuts and bruises, something I wasn't prepared for.

"Rose, what're we supposed to do?" Everyone left me alone with her. I almost took a step towards her, wanting to help, but pulled back last minute. The thought of her within arm reach was nearly terrifying. I didn't know her full potential as a vampire.

She'd never looked like this: a dangerous animal in demise by something that shouldn't have crossed her destiny.

"Caroline. I didn't want this. I didn't want this lifestyle. I liked it, but now? I regret everything." She began to whimper. And that's when it happened. When something inside me clicked.

I turned around and began to walk out. She began to apologize over and over again, her voice crescendoing with every step I took.

I stopped realizing how cold the brick walls around me were. That didn't matter. I had to keep walking.

No one noticed as I walked past the living room and up to the third floor. No one heard the creaky steps the floor boards made as I reached the window and unlocked its rusted bolts. My feet placed themselves on the roof. Small pebbles stubbed my toes as I turned towards the house to climb higher.

I reached to the peak of the roof, the highest point, and looked down. It seemed so serene. The moonlight was cascading against the trees showing where the little animals lived. Everyone's cars near the garage seemed to shine a bright reflection from the small light given to them.

The ground seemed so far away compared to the window I climbed out of.

And then I jumped.


	9. Or Finally Awake

**I HAVE A COMPUTER! I HAVE A COMPUTER! What does that mean? I CAN FINALLY FINISH THIS STORY! No longer will you have to wait for next chapters for months on end. No longer will I have to go to the freaking library to write a story and I can finally start writing another one(which I have but won't post till 'Angel' is done)! I can't wait to give you guys a preview to it. I know you're going to love it and I'm already on the second chapter. Anyway, thank you for still reading 'Angel' and following our Caroline through this weird time of hers. Enjoy!**

Chapter nine

Or

Finally awake

That moment when your heart stops or when your stomach catches in your throat, that's what was happening to me. I felt this vehement rush to jump from the roof.

When Rose told me she regretted becoming a vampire, that's when the feeling overtook me. And now I was plummeting to my death. What were three stories, really felt like five. The ground that was once substantially far away was now coming towards me too fast to think.

Through the fall, someone caught my eye. The moonlight outlined an angel who lost his wings. It wasn't until his voice pierced my ears did I realize it was Tyler. He was looking up at me, confused and yet scared all at once. Could he save me during my freefall?

Even though he was so far away, his yell sounded like it was surround sound—like someone screaming in a small room.

Time seemed to slow as I closed my eyes.

All I could focus on were his words. And yet I still couldn't understand him. I could only hear my name from his sweet lips.

"CAROLINE!" he called out. I opened my eyes again, ready for his face to be the last for me to see.

His arms were stretched out, ready to leap up to catch me halfway. But he didn't catch me.

* * *

><p>Over winter break, I came back home. Bonnie and Elena met me at my house the moment I told them I had parked in the driveway. It was a wonderful time.<p>

We didn't have any drama, nor did we have horrible winter storms like the previous year. Instead it was just your average amount of snow that covered every possible green speck Mystic Falls was used to.

Mom was home just long enough to help me put my suitcases inside before she had to leave for work. I was used to it—she was always busy.

The girls came over with some alcohol for the celebration of my return. For the holiday season, we decided to bake snowflake shaped cookies. It didn't matter to us that we burned them every time, the fact that we were together made the smell and taste all worthwhile. Even though the three of us couldn't carry a tune, we decided to practice on our Carolining. Yes, Carolining. Need I explain the reason behind the word?

Let's just say a few Christmas's ago, many alcoholic beverages, plus my wish for the holiday to sing Christmas carols at every possible house in the neighborhood equaled to 'Carolining'.

That after noon, after I just got home, in the middle of baking cookies, I had seen the postman put letters in our mailbox at the end of the driveway. I was in slippers (a choice I regret) and put on my robe to walk outside.

I got out on the porch and when my heel hit the third step, I slipped entirely and the weight of my body came crashing down and slammed on my forearm as it collided with the bottom step. I was in so much pain I didn't recognize my own screams. I even went into shock as I saw my bone protruding from body

I don't remember much after that but Elena and Bonnie helped me through it. They carried me inside and Bonnie healed me. Hours later, I came to.

* * *

><p>His arms were stretched out, ready to leap up to catch me halfway. But he didn't catch me.<p>

And I hit the ground.

That broken arm from this past holiday was nothing compared to every single one of my bones shattering in instant symmetry... And that was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.

* * *

><p>"Caroline." It felt like someone was touching my eyes. "Wake. Up," Damon's voice said.<p>

My eyes fluttered once more and a new view came into my line of sight. I was no longer plummeting to my death but on the couch in the Salvator's living room.

"What the hell just happened?" I squealed shooting up. Damon backed off like and enemy returning into his territory.'

"Damon just saved your life," Bonnie explained. "You've been unconscious for a few days. You jumped off the house. We found out Rose Compelled you to because we didn't play by the rules correctly."

"But—but, Tyler was about to catch me!"

Elena came by and sat on the other side of me. "Caroline, Rose Compelled you to fall and hit the ground. Not get caught, so that's what happened. You broke practically every bone in your body and you've been on nothing but vampire blood to heal, and Bonnie has been casting spells over you every night before she went to sleep. We had three days to wake you up and that was it. Those were the rules Otherwise you would have gone in a coma. That was part of the Compulsion that Rose set you on."

Everything they were saying didn't make sense but they kept on going. Everyone had left the room except for Bonnie and Elena.

"Caroline, we have Alaric and Jules. But there's something you need to know," Bonnie said without meeting my eyes.

"Where's Tyler?" I looked from one area of the room to the next, ready to spot him there with me. "Why hasn't he come to check on me?" He would be here in an instant if he knew I was up.

"That's the thing," Elena began. "He left."

Everything else stopped. My ears went numb and I couldn't hear anything else. He left me. Just like my dad and just like my mom did with work.

How could we finish this stupid game that Katherine created with him gone? How is it that of all the billions of people in the world, I choose a psychotic one who told me to jump off the roof of a house? And most importantly, why did he leave?

**Shortest chapter EVER, I know. I will try and get the next chapter done ASAP. I just tried to get this uploaded as soon as possible. Sorry for the choppy-ness and any confusion that was given, I know I jumped around a lot.**


	10. or Dream Land

Chapter 10

or

Dream Land

Three days. I was knocked out for three days. Altogether it'd been a week since I'd seen Tyler. He ignored my phone calls and didn't respond to my texts. He left me.

Katherine hadn't gotten a hold of us since we got Alaric and Jules back—since I jumped. Everyone agreed it would be safe for me to get back to school. So I did.

Mom was fine. She could finally get back into work and I could finally get back into my old routine.

When I walked through the front door of my apartment, everything looked the same. My roomate's—ex roommate—shoes were on the floor next to the front door, and the kitchen light was on. We always left it on for when we came in late. I turned it off before heading to my room.

I shut Rose's open door not wanting to even look at things that reminded me of her betrayal.

They still had her at the Manor. She was free to leave the room, but not the house. They watched her every waking moment. She wasn't allowed to talk to anyone else who she would be able to Compel and could have no contact with Katherine, her maker.

When I got to my room, there were dirty clothes still needed washed and my desk had different papers covering the top. My bed wasn't made and I didn't feel like fixing it. I didn't even feel like eating.

I tried calling Tyler again.

No answer.

Shocking.

Instead I went back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day, my alarm clock woke me up, a sound I wasn't at all used to. I'd been sleeping in back at Mystic Falls and I didn't want to wake up. For once I didn't want to go to class.<p>

But I did. I threw on some jeans and a hoodie, not caring about doing my hair or make-up. Finals were soon so people probably thought that's why I didn't care about my appearance.

I wonder if I would see him today, Tyler that is. I didn't know if he was still with his uncle Mason or back at school. I hoped he wasn't at school. I didn't want to see him.

It was warmer than I'd remembered outside. Spring time meant couples attacking each other on the lawns and the birds singing quite too happily. Snow wasn't covering the sidewalk, which was nice.

In the distance I saw a familiar football player with his arm around his chosen girl of the month. Matt Donovan.

It felt like a lifetime ago when Matt and I had a date at the coffee shop. Instead I fell in love with a boy who was in debt to protect me. I hope the hole in my heart would leave soon.

I walked into class and no one noticed my entrance. To them I was just another student who skipped class for nearly a whole semester. To my professors, I might as well be failing his or her class.

Sadly enough, I didn't care. I knew I would pass, I turned everything in and I took all my tests online while back visiting Mystic Falls. My lowest grade was a 91 for each quiz.

I had an hour for each test so there was no way I could look in my book to cheat for all of one hundred questions. The only thing that was holding me back in this class was that I had skipped so many lectures. Same with all my other courses.

"Miss. Forbes, how lovely to see you today," Professor Franks said.

I guess it was every teacher's job that day to call me out on my attendance in front of the entire lecture, not that I was there, but that I was finally back and able to join in. They all knew why I was back home taking care of Mom.

"Miss. Forbes, how wonderful it is for you to join us."

"Miss. Forbes, we should speak after class about that grade of yours," one said as if my grade was poor. I would be able to keep my scholarship with the high marks I've made this year. Even though I missed out, it didn't mean I was failing.

"Everything back home is fine," I promised Professor Sylvia. She, like a couple other of my teachers, pulled me aside on the way out to speak with me.

She was luckily my last class for the day and wanted to talk to me about my well being. I never knew teachers would care so much in college. They didn't my first semester when I got sick with mono.

"Good, you're a very bright student," she said shuffling papers around on her desk.

I just nodded, taking the conversation to be over and headed out the door.

"Caroline!" I heard my name being yelled. I turned around to see a bouncy brunette headed my way. Jannet Boulding, easiest, but nicest, cheerleader on the squad. "I'm so happy to see you back here! I thought you were still back in Mystic Falls. How's your mom?"

"J," I greeted as she looped her arm though mine. "You seem to be in a good mood. Mom's fine and I didn't want to miss finals coming up."

"Or the parties," she giggled. "Speaking of which, one of our favorite fraternity brothers is having one tonight and the entire squad is invited."

The squad had a lot of 'favorite' fraternity brothers considering how many of us were in sororities. I can only imagine who's have the 'before finals' party. I might as well go though since I was trying to get back into my old routine.

"Sure, I'd love to go," I said as she led me out of the building.

Later that night I was putting on red lipstick and adding more mascara than usual. J insisted that I put on skinny jeans and a dark shirt to highlight the natural blonde in my hair. To make her happy, I did.

The party was bigger than any I'd been to. The frat house was three stories high and the lawn was able to fit at least six cars on it if there wasn't enough space on the street.

It felt weird walking in high heels again, but I strutted through them well enough. As soon as I walked through the front door, strong arms lifted me in a hug from behind. Only one guy on campus ever did that to me.

"Spence, put me down!" I screeched until he set me down.

"Forbes, where ya been?" Alcohol reeked from his mouth while a wide grin spread across his face. "I missed you. We all did, actually. Want a beer? C'mon I'll take you to the kitchen."

He grabbed my hand softly and tugged me along gently in his slightly tipsy way until we got to the room where nearly every table was covered with empty or full red party cups. "FORBES!" some people erupted as I opened my beer. I was attacked with five more hugs for the lifetime I was away from school. I'm sure word spread why I left. But I wasn't ready for this kind of welcome.

I barely went to the parties anyway because I wanted to focus on school so this was one of the few times I went out. I hadn't realized how many people missed me, or knew me for that matter.

It was getting so claustrophobic until Spence led me outside where we sat with some people by a bonfire. Behind us, some guys were playing football. Random grunts and yells were thrown around while some of them got tackled.

"Do you know where J went?" I asked Spence.

"No," he answered handing me a drink. I took it and nearly chugged the entire thing down. I needed to let loose and forget everything.

"Watch it there, you don't want to drink too fast," Spencer said, slurring his words. I was vaguely aware of footsteps coming closer to us.

"Well well well, if it isn't Caroline Forbes," a deep voice said behind us.

"Tyler?" I asked before the person came in to view.

"No, it's Brandon," he said. I recognized Brandon from somewhere. "Aren't you Matt's best friend? Matt Donovon?"

"Yeah!" he said, more excited than a sober person. He probably already had a few drinks in his system. "I'm surprised you remembered me. I don't think anyone could forget you, the girl who turned Donovan down." A blush crept up to my cheeks in embarrassment as he handed me another drink to replace my empty one.

"I'll be right back guys. I need a refill," Spencer said to us.

"Cheers to you," Brandon said. "To the girl who rejected the non rejectable." We clinked our drinks together, he more so than I, and nearly spilled everything on himself. He took his drink without even noticing the mess he made and I followed, chugging yet another cup down.

It wasn't until he licked his lips that he looked down,did he realize the spill. I never pegged Brandon as a lightweight. He must have had a lot to drink.

"Oh no, Caroline! I spilt this drink on myself! I need to clean this off! Do you know where the bathroom is?" he asked, genuinely upset.

"Here, I'll help you find it," I said giggeling. Finally, I was beginning to feel the drinks in my system. "You can't tell you spilled your beer though, Brandon," I said pulling him to the house to help him find a bathroom to clean up. "You're wearing a dark shuuurt," I said slowly and making the 't' pop. "And dark pants… so I mean, really, it's hard to tell."

"Awe thank you Caroline, that is really sweet of you." Why was I already slurring my words? Alcohol never kicked in this quickly. Brandon looked at his cup with an odd expression, as if contemplating something, then looked at me with a bright smile. "Hey can you finish my beer for me? I don't want to finish it, but it would be sush a shame to waste it."

It really would have been a shame to just throw it away, or leave it unattended. He didn't have that much left anyway, so I helped him finish it.

It was so hard to find a bathroom. The music was loud and we had to push through at least three couples just to get to the other end of the room.

When we finally found one and I waited outside the door for him until I heard someone call my name down the hall. We were on the third floor, how we got up here without any trips or falls, I'd never know. But we were the only ones up here, so who called my name?

"Brandon!" I yelled loudly, hoping he would hear me form the other side of the door. "I'll be right back!" I felt like a drunk person yelling for a taxi with the tone of voice I was using.

I walked down the hall, nearly tripping over my feet until I heard my name from another room. When I walked in, a horrible figure stood in my sight.

"Katherine!" I yelled, wishing this were a dream. "No!" Why wouldn't she go away?! "You aren't supposed to be here!"

"I'm here for the last part of the game, Caroline dear." She said before looking past me, immediately clutching her head and screaming in agony

"You're done with these games from us," my best friend said behind me. I would recognize Bonnie's voice anywhere, no matter how drunk I was. "Katherine, you will stop messing with us, and leave us alone, so help me if I don't kill you now!"

Katherine screamed louder than I thought possible. I sat down on the floor, unable to take in what was happening. Katherine was here? I was drunk? And Bonnie just knew to come here?

"Tyler, come in here and get Caroline. Where are Damon and Stefan? They should be here by now," she yelled at him as his arms wrapped around me to help me up.

"Come on beautiful," he said quietly in my ear. "They're almost here," he told Bonnie. Even when he wasn't talking to me, I still got the butterflies.

"Tyler, why're you here? You hate me," I said as he escorted me out of the room. "And what is Bonnie doing?" I asked, trying to act more sober than what I was.

"University, hush. Come one, let me get you home." His voice was so sweet and so concerned for me, it made me melt.

We were walking down the steps when we bumped into Stefan and Damon. "Where have you been? You're screwing up our plan!" My Angel began to scold.

I'd never seen Stefan glare at Damon that hard before. Damon must've done something again.

"Tyler, I'm tired," I said hoping it hadn't come out as a whine. It probably did. Bye!" I yelled at Elena's boyfriend and his brother as they went to assist my friend.

I hadn't even realized we reached the bottom floor until I saw Brandon in the kitchen making out with some other girl. I'm glad he cleaned the beer off himself.

When we got to the car, Tyler slowly tucked me into the passenger's side, his warm hands buckling me in. He kissed my forehead before shutting the door for me.

When he parked in front of my apartment complex, he got out first and helped me out of my car like I was five again and my mom was helping me get ready for bed. I didn't know if it was his supernatural strength, or the fact that he was naturally strong, but he carried me all the way to my room number and I handed him my keys so he could unlock the front door.

He set me down on my bed, as gently as a feather landing on water and brushed some hair out of my face. His dark eyes had the most amazing shine to them that night.

"Tyler, I'm so glad you're back," I told him as he began to take my shoes off.

"I'm sorry I left," he replied setting the shoes down. His hands trailed along my ankles as he slowly pulled my right sock off before going to the other one.

"Why did you?" My left ankle got more attention than my right as the sock was slowly pulled off.

"I had to," he said looking up with a pained expression. "We finally got information out of Rose and found out Katherine would go after you first. So we let you go home without telling you anything."

"You knew Katherine was coming after me?" I said leaning up on my elbows.

He crawled towards me and reached for my hand. I didn't realize what he was doing until he unclasped the bracelet around my wrist and set it on my nightstand. His fingers trailed up my arm, slowly and compellingly as he reached my neck to take off the jewelry that hung off it.

"I did. It was the only way to catch her. I've been watching you since you got home to make sure you were safe. I couldn't talk to you in case she,Katherine, knew we were planning something. Caroline, I'm so sorry. I knew how sad you were and I didn't do anything."

"Tyler," I said, my eyes fluttering shut. I wanted his face to be the last I saw that night. "Fall asleep with me."

The last thing I felt was his protective arm around me, holding me close and his steady heartbeat matching my every breath.

"I'll never let you go," he said as I escaped peacefully into a wonderful dream world.

**Hey, I am so sorry for taking so long to write this. I finally got a computer and got stumped on to how continue with this story. I just wanted to apologize to you for saying I'd post it up a certain day and end up not doing it, which isn't like me at all. In the meantime of having writers block, I've been writing some other fanfics(that I haven't posted yet because I want to get a couple chapters done first) and would like to get your opinion. Would you like me to stick with Forwood, or mix it up with Forwood AND Delena/Stelena? OR, to push it even FURTHER!... make a Twilight or Harry Potter fanfic? I already have some ideas made, so review and let me know, or pm me and give me your opinions. I want to write something you would love to read. I hope you review so I know your thoughts. Thank you, and sorry again.**

**-Pheyth**

**P.S. I am already started on the next chapter and will post it asap.**


	11. or The EndNew Beginning

Chapter 11

Or

The End/New Beginning

I woke up in a haze. I was on my side and an arm was around me. Tyler's tan skin looked so dark next to the light colored bed sheets.

He began to move and I turned around to face him, surprised to see his eyes slowly shutter open. His arms stretched above him with a yawn and I realized he didn't have a shirt on. I didn't mind, it was a lovely view.

"Good morning, University," he said with a deep morning voice. It was beautiful.

"Hey there yourself," I replied looking down at his abs then meeting his beautiful brown eyes.

"Sorry," he grumbled looking down at his own shirtless body. "I got hot in the middle of the night."

"So Katherine is gone now," I said remembering the conversation we had before I went to sleep. I was surprised I hadn't woken up with a headache.

He nodded not saying anything, just grinning at me with the most wonderful smile I could stare at for eternity.

"Does that mean we can go on a date now?" I asked to be clear.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said before pressing his lips against my own.

**Gahhhh, you guys I am so sorry for how this ended and how long it took! I feel like it ended differently than the way it started. I didn't know I would be putting Caroline through all those ups and downs and good gawd, how long it took me to upload?! I'm sooo sorry. But I'm kinda glad to get this story done. Who knows, maybe I'll go back and edit it. Blahhh I am soo sorry. You can yell at me, go on ahead. **

**I, Pheyth, vow for the next Forwood fanfic I write, it won't take me that long to upload, I will meet the dates I tell you AND it will have an **_**amazing**_** ending. Again, I am so sorry and hope to win your hearts back. It's going to be a while(maybe a few weeks) for me to upload my next story, but due to insignificantBiatch(very bold name btw, LOVE IT) I will be sticking to Forwood and save Twilight for another day. I would like to thank rjt040190, Crimson Breeze, ChillwithJyl, Melly, and whoever stuck in from the beginning and for those of you who joined in halfway. **

**I already started on the next Forwood which I have decided to call **_**Coup d'etat**_

**Here is a portion from the prologue:**

Vampires are the new race of humans. They have been for a little over a century. So little of us are left, humans that is. The only way to survive is to be owned by a Vampire Lord.

Witches have gone extinct and werewolves abandoned the earth centuries ago leaving the humans with no protection.

My name is Caroline Forbes, I'm seventeen years old and one of the oldest of my kind. My father died as a Vampire Hunter, or so I'm told. He was one of the few and best, the only name that made vampires everywhere fear for their immortal lives. My father, William Forbes, better known as Bill, created an uprising before I was born. He wanted to destroy the monsters that took away our free will and turn us into their personal food banks at their own convenience.

When my father was finally caught, after killing nearly twenty undead families, he was hung as a traitor to the vampire lords and ladies.

When it was found out that he had a wife, they killed her too. My Mother was able to put me in hiding before the vampires found out William Forbes had an heir.

A small human family own by Lord Salvatore had recently given birth to a daughter. They knew my parents well but didn't join the uprising. When mother was killed, they took me under their name. They claimed to the town that she bared twins, and I was a miraculous surprise.

My true name is Caroline Forbes, but they call me Caroline Gilbert now.

**Alright, I will be posting that within the next few weeks. Like I said, this is only a small portion of the prologue and I want to write a few more chapters before posting so I won't be rushing on time to upload. Thanks again you guys!**

**-Pheyth**


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